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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · bass · stock · tear · bulb · press · firm · coach

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. firm — a company
  3. bass — the fish
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. tear — to rip
  7. stock — goods
  8. tear — from crying
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. press — a publisher
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. firm — steady
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. firm — decided
  23. wax — to grow
  24. tear — from crying

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com